New Mil-Spec transformed

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  • Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    Well, jumped on a reasonably priced new Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec pistol. For those unfamiliar with the format it is basically a WWII type military pistol with the following upgrades or changes (for those purists in the group):

    - High visibility, 3 dot sights;
    - Lowered and flared ejection port;
    - slanted cocking serrations on slide;
    - Throated barrel for reliable feeding of non-ball ammunition;
    - beveled magwell;
    - Laminate synthetic grips.

    All the listed changes are indeed upgrades in my experience...and older eyes appreciate the sights. The dots I am not a big fan of so I will eventually black out the rear dots and run just the front. This set up can be very fast in practical type shooting.

    A couple pics attached of it out of box.
     

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    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    So I have been wanting a 'new gen' Mil-Spec for quite some time. I have had two on order with the caveat the price will not be frenzied market price. It seems these pistols were carrying a price tag of $750 and up for awhile. BUT...I found one new in cardboard box with all the propaganda, lock and one magazine for a fair cost. Down payment, paperwork, a 7 day wait for the "Not Disapproved" Maryland background check and I picked it up. Oh, I had to pay off the balance so they didn't beat me.

    This purchase was at the local indoor range so can we say convenient? Picked it up, bought lane time, brushed the bore, lubed the rails, barrel points, thumb safety (it is that heavy), and the lockwork through the hammer cutout in the frame. Initial impressions:

    - like all parked pistols, new....gritty operation;
    - thumb safety is John Cena tight to operate;
    - thumb safety shelf has the RIA flat side contour, a negative in my estimation;
    - sights are standard SA Mil-Spec high visibility 3 dot type and completely useable;
    - back of the slide is proud of the back of the frame. No issue;
    - slide to frame clearance feels minimal...really;
    - back of the extractor is proud of the slide, but not ungainly so;
    - barrel lock up is good...very good;
    - bushing, just a little loose slide/bushing and bushing/barrel but in battery there is no shake, rattle and roll;
    - the tail of the grip safety is designed to leave an impression in the web of your hand when riding the thumb safety. This WILL be addressed;
    - grip safety disconnect is very deep. Shooting high thumb will cause inconsistent deactivation;
    - trigger is nicely fit for a drop in unit. Polymer shoe. Noticeable vertical moverment but not excessive;
    Okay, I did bring my trigger pull gauge. Measured 5 pounds 4 ounces, some gritty creep but not as much as I would have expected;
    - magazine release is smooth in operation while dropping the magazine;
    - Grips are dark walnut, (later determined to be laminate as mentioned in post #1) impressed full checkering. A little short front to back on this pistol leaving that 'bump in the grip' feel. The bottoms are short of the bottom of the grip frame but no issue with that. But looks like I'll keep them on this pistol;
    - mainspring housing arched, serrated, will be flattened then textured. It is flush with the bottom of the magwell/frame. The arched housing is not as efficient as a flat one when riding the thumb safety;
    - bottom of magwell is beveled for smoother mag insertion.

    The overall parked finish is uniform and blasted. Pleasant pistol to start the minimal project I have wanted to do.
    The slide/frame clearance and barrel fit is very good. One of my barrel fit checks is to ensure unloaded pistol. Hold the pistol inverted then pull the slide back to just barely disengage the lower lug feet from the slide stop pin. Then I gently push up on the barrel hood. I will gradually pull the slide back a little more feeling for vertical clearance along the lower lug flats. This barrel locks up hard in battery, and very little clearance with barrel feet just off the slide pin. It then exhibits a little vertical movement the rest of the way back. I would bet good money with I mic the slide stop pin it will measure .198-.199" diameter. A .200" slide stop will probably tighten it up just right. This barrel fit and the slide/frame fit made this pistol a no brainer to buy. If it shoots well, I may just leave the slightly loose bushing in it.
     
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    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    So I shot the pistol. Standing, two handed, at distances of 10, 16, and 25 yards. Targets labeled to the effect of "10-25 yd" are composite targets shot at the three distances. Ammunition was all blasting grade 230 grain ball - Winchester WB (WIN, WW), Sellier and Belliot (SB), and Federal small primer (FC).

    Shooting impressions...unlike the impression left in the web of my hand by the grip safety....are good. The pistol fed, extracted well and didn't malfunction. Passed the no mag in pistol extraction/ejection test. The #1 target was with WIN and printed the small 4 shot group on the sparsely perforated target. You can see the pistol printed slightly right. The #2 target shows how the impacts moved to center. Okay, maybe is was me...but the pistol (the pistol and I) settled and no sight regulation was needed. The SB ammo shot soft and typically shot slightly higher due to greater bullet dwell time in the barrel. You can see the fired cases exhibit all centered strikes on the primer. The extraction was zealous. No brass strikes occurred on the shooter's noggin. There were brass marks from ejection just aft of the ejection port. Extractor and ejector tuning may alleviate this...may not.

    I measured the trigger pull after shooting. It measure 4 pounds 14 ounces. I am going to call this on the less smooth factory primary surface being burnished. I don't experience this when I do a trigger job.. An ounce or two...maybe...but never 6 ounces.

    Pic of firing pin strike location on primers included.

    After this maiden voyage, I won’t be concerned with any barrel or bushing replacement. Shoots good out of box.
     

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    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    Well, time to work on it. I went through the pistol. The slide/frame clearance was tight in 2 of 4 measutements coming in at .0008”. The other two not so good, but useable as is, .0030”. I could leave the barrel alone. The slide stop pin measired .01970”-.1975”. A Fusion .199” slide stop took the minute play out and yield the strike marks pictured. I did all the required work to smooth and bring the pistol into spec. Cost was a bushing, slide stop and a trigger.

    A few pics of the many things done.
     

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    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    Finishing touches on the back of the pistol. Well, sorta finishing. The bottom of the mainspring housing had a seam line I wanted to eliminate and still maintain its blend to the bottom of the pistol. Well, dang it again. The kicker is I suspected it could have been there but didn’t see it until the finished and filed section contrasted…that molding depression. Blasting it later on should make less noticeable…like when I didn’t notice it.

    The thumb safety plate does not follow the frame line. I had to leave the front lower portion of the plate low. If the plate were profiled to match the frame contour then a good bit of the thumb safety cut out would be exposed in the safety in “Safe” position position.

    Now to test fire it.
     

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    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    Magnumite, thank you for this detailed, obsessive (mean this in the best way), passionate thread. Really enjoy deep dives with lots of pictures. Going to digest this one slowly.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    Thank you, fidelity. These Springer Mil-Specs are solid guns. What I like in this configuration these guns are solid performers for not a lot of money. The abbreviated spur on the grip safety is upswept and allows a much higher hold on the pistol. Of course, this allows the pistol to shoot flatter. And the kicker is the labor for purchase and labor of fitting a beavertail is deferred. Tiny bit of labor in the hammer bob to avoid hammer bite, though. While some of this build is in keeping with the USGI configuration and reducing monetary cost, the approach is in its performance. If I wanted to refinish this pistol, the upsweep at the back of the pistol would be higher. I would also raise the cut just behind the trigger guard as well.

    I have a Baer frame pistol I built I configured like this and the fact it is a spur grip safety is just noticeable. Nothing to shoot 200 ball rounds in a shooting session. The Baer frame pistol was not a budget build, though.

    No intent to get too wordy but thought an explanation of the approach may have answered any “why’s” out there.
     

    chino101

    Active Member
    Jan 12, 2011
    157
    Glad to see SA brought this back. I wish SA gave their milspec pistols vertical slide serrations to give it a more original look.
     
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    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    Well, shot it today. Blacked out the dots on the rear sight only. One 10/16/25 yard target and one 25 yard target. Standing, Sellier and Bellot 230 grain ball. The low shot on the 25 yard target was where I held the dot on the front sight down for whatever reason. All shots were as called. I’ll take a little off the top of the front sight to raise POI. Shooting was done at 6 o’clock on the bull.
     

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    Occam

    Not Even ONE Indictment
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 24, 2018
    20,234
    Montgomery County
    Why is it so low?

    He mentions he was aiming at six o'clock on the black. Not sure why! But maybe because that's a contrast line between the white and black on the paper, and easier to see with the iron sights. But if that's indeed where he was pointing it, they got there.
     

    Michigander08

    ridiculous and psychotic
    MDS Supporter
    May 29, 2017
    7,685
    He mentions he was aiming at six o'clock on the black. Not sure why! But maybe because that's a contrast line between the white and black on the paper, and easier to see with the iron sights. But if that's indeed where he was pointing it, they got there.

    No. He said he aimed at 6 o'clock on the bull; not black. So there are 9, 8, 7 rings...
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    The bull is the black. I held the sights at the bottom of the black round sectionof thetarget. I since then have lowered the front sight post .010” to raise the point of impact about 1.5”.

    I hold at six o’clock on the bull because it is a precise aiming area. I cut my handgun shooting teeth on that hold and actually get internal conflict sometimes trying to shoot precision at distance with center of the bull. Short range steel plates or up close practical targets center of mass hold is not an issue.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    A little more going on. Reconfiguring pistol to ride lower in the hand.
     

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    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    reducing front to rear grip frame dimension, reducing front strap radius and preparing for stippling.
     

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